Yesterday morning Sue and I went shopping as early as we could to avoid being out as it was getting hotter. During our visit to our local shopping mall, I visited Waterstones and bought a copy of T-26 LIGHT TANK: BACKBONE OF THE RED ARMY.
The book is split into five parts:
T-26 LIGHT TANK: BACKBONE OF THE RED ARMY was written by Steven J Zaloga, illustrated by Henry Morshead, and published in 2015 by Osprey Publishing (ISBN 978 1 4728 0625 3).
The book is split into five parts:
- Introduction
- Development
- 6-ton Tank Export
- Improved Firepower
- Combat Debut in Spain
- T-26 Export
- Modernizing the T-26 Tank
- T-26 Comparative Technical Characteristics
- T-26 Replacements
- T-26 Tank Production 1931-41
- Flamethrower Tanks
- Robot Tanks
- Artillery Tanks
- Engineer Combat Vehicles
- Combat Record
- War in the Far East
- The Polish Campaign, 1939
- The Russo-Finnish Winter War, 1939-40
- Soviet Tank Losses in the Winter War, 1939-40
- Operation Barbarossa
- T-26 Strength by Military District, 1940-41
- T-26 Strength in Red Army Mechanized Corps, June 22, 1941
- The Approaches to Moscow: T-26 Strength on the Western Front
- Captured T-26 Tanks in Combat
- The Final Battle: 1945
- Further Reading
- Index
T-26 LIGHT TANK: BACKBONE OF THE RED ARMY was written by Steven J Zaloga, illustrated by Henry Morshead, and published in 2015 by Osprey Publishing (ISBN 978 1 4728 0625 3).
Like yourself I have a soft spot (like its armour) for the T-26; it tried its hardest but got caught out by a bit of fast bowling and post SCW couldn't complete with the big boys past 1941
ReplyDeleteGeordie an Exile FoG,
DeleteIt was a good tank when compared to what other nations had in service in 1936, but - as you state in your comment - by 1941 it was no longer as reliable and well-armoured as the tanks it was coming up against.
One wonders what might have happened if - as was mooted at one point - it had been developed with a better engine and drive system, thicker armour, and beefed-up suspension. The result would probably not have been as good as the T-34, but it might have been a match for the Pzkpfw III and IV.
All the best,
Bob